The Effect Of TNF-α On EMT And Wound Healing During Rats’ Tongue Mucosa Injury

Background and ObjectiveOral mucosa serves as a vindicatory barrier against any harmful environmental insult that may result in loss of the integrity of oral mucosa. Oral mucosa injury was caused by many factors, such as accidents,operation,oral ulcer,orthodontic attachments and so on. Oral mucosa injuries not only bring the pain to the patients, but also affect the normal physiological and psychological functions of the patients, such as human chewing, swallowing, speaking. At present, the clinical drags used to promoting oral mucosa healing were mainly dephlogisticate, analgesia and anti-infective. Relieving the pain of the patients, restoring the physiological function of the maxillofacial region, and improving the speed and quality of wound healing have become the focus of the study of oral mucosa healing.In recent years, the role of growth factors in the healing of skin wounds have become the focus of attention. Some of these growth factors have been used in clinic to promote wound healing, which have achieved some good results. Currently, there are different opinions about the effects of TNF-α on the healing of skin wounds. In addition, there are few studies about the healing effects on the oral mucosa. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect and mechanism of TNF-α on the wound healing during rats’ tongue mucosa injury.MethodsExperiment 1: 60 8-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into TNF-α+Gel experimental group and the Gel Control group. A 3mm-diameter circular defects were made on the tongue mucosa of the rats.The rats were killed at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hour after operations. The wound healing were contrasted through Haematoxylin Eosin(H&E) staining and images were measured between each groups.Experiment 2: Preparation and collection of animal tongue mucosa trauma model were the same as the Experiment 1. Immunohistochemical fluorescence were used to detect the expression of EMT related protein E-cadherin(E-cad), Fibroblast specific proteins(FSP1) and Vimentin in tongue mucosa during wound healing.Experiment 3: Cultivated HIOEC in vitro, wound scratch assay was used to compare the influence of TNF-α on healing speed and the alter of cellular morphology.ResultsExperiment 1: Specimen measurement and HE staining have compatibility, at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hour. Wound healing of TNF-α Gel experimental group were faster than the control group(P<0.001).Experiment 2: Immunohistochemical fluorescence display at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hour. The number of cells which expressed Vimentin and FSP1 in the basal layer of wound edge zone in TNF-α group were more than that in the control groups(P<0.001).Experiment 3: Wound scratch assay showed that scratch healed faster than the control group after stimulated by TNF-α, and cell morphology in wound edge were also changed.ConclusionTNF-α can promote the healing process of wounds on tongue mucosa effectively. TNF-α can promote the happening of EMT in the process of rat tongue mucosa wound healing. In vitro, epithelial cell migration ability and the altering of cellular morphology can be enhanced by TNF-α. But effect of TNF-α in wound healing on tongue mucosa of rats is related to the occurrence of EMT needs further research.